Aeroplane.



A. L. ROMERO.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 91| 1916.

1 ,25791 2%, Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Gunih/www A. L. ROMERG.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9v. 1191s.

1,257@ 24, Peeented Feb. 19, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ALFREDO L. ROMERO, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

AEROPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rammed ree. is, lere.

Application led February 9, 1916. Serial No. 77,275.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, ALFREDO L. ROMERO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Aeroplanes; and lf do hereby declare the following-to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to, make and use the same. l

The invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes.

rllhe object of the present invention is to improve the construction of aeroplanes and to equip 'the same with means for enabling them to 'dy with increased speed and to remain stationary in an elevated position or moved rearwardly and also to rise and descend without moving forwardly or backwardly.

A further object of the invention is to provide an aeroplane of this character capable of carrying increased weight andof flying steadily and of maintainingn its equilibriinn.

Another object of theinvention is to provide an aeroplane provided with both driving and lifting propellers and adapted to be simultaneously operated when making a start so as to move upwardly and forwardly with great rapidity and yadapted also to be controlledy independently of each other whereby the aeroplane may be handled with increased facility.

- With these and other objects in View the invention consists vin 'the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully. described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it bein understood that various changes in the germ, .proportion andl minor details of construction may be resorted to without departin from the spirit or sacrificing any of the a vantages of the invention.

ln the drawings y Figure 1 is a side elevation of an aeroplane constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a. plan view of the same partly broken away to illustrate the arrangement of the motors,

Fig. 3 is a front elevation,

Figa is a horizontal sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5*-5 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

ln the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated'y the preferred embodiment of the invention, the improvements are shown applied a biplane but they are equally applicable to aeroplanes of various other types. .The biplane comprises in its construction a supporting frame l of any de sired construction mounted on wheels 2 vand supporting upper and lower laterally ein tending planes 3 and rlhe supporting frame is composed of a lower longitudinally disposed base portion 5 an `upright transversely disposed portion 6 and a rearwardly tapered tail portion 7 extending from the center of the transverse portion 6 and carrying dove-tail elevator blades 8 and a vertical rudder blade 9. rlhese blades 8 and 9 are of the usual construction and are controlled in the ordinary manner. The base portion of the frame extends in advance of the transverse portion and mounted on the ,transverse portion centrally thereof are front and rear rotary combustion engines 1@ and 1l having radially arranged cylinders 12 and 13 rotating in vertical transverse planes. These rotary combustion engines which may be of any preferred construction are suitably mounted 'in the said transverse portion 6 of the supporting frame and the front combustion engine l0 which is preferably a seven cylinder, fty horse power engine, is provided at the back with a bevel gear 14: arranged vertically and meshing with a horizontally disposed bevel. gear 15 of a depending shaft 16; llhe bevel gear 15 is preferably arranged at a slight inclination and the shaft 16 also has a slight inclination but it may be disposed vertically and it is equipped at its lower end with a lifting pro- /peller 17 havinga plurality of blades preferably three as shown. The inclined depending propeller shaft extends downu wardly and rearwardly when the aeroplane is ina horizontal position and it is adapted to assume a vertical position when the aeroplane extends upwardly and forwardly at an inclination The rear combustion engine is preferably a six cylinder, forty horse power engine and it is equipped with a rearwardly extending rotary shaft 18, of a length to extend in rear of the transverse portion rio 6v and equipped with a vertically disposed driving ropeller 19 rotating within the rearwar y tapered tail portion of the supporting frame and preferably provided with three blades but a guiding propeller of any dsirei construction mayV of` course be emo e p he frame is provided at the center of the base portion with a rectangular opening 20 extending .downwardly from the transverse portion of the frame and forming a passage for the air to enable the lifting propeller to act on the air in elevating the aeroplane. The front and rear motors are adapted to be operated either simultaneously or independently and the aeroplane may be caused to rise without moving forwardly and it maybe maintained in a stationary position at an elevation byoperating the lifting propeller and stopping the motor; ,of the driving propeller. Also the lifting and driving propellers will enable the aeroplane to be moved rearwardly land it is capable ofbei'ng driven forwardly and upwardly at an increased speed and the lift# ing` propellei`= will also enable the aeroplane to carry an increased weight. As the braking and controlling means of the motor are of the ordinary construction illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary and the aeroplane isl designed to be equipped with the usual accessories which are omittedforconvenienc.' The location of the rotary combustion engines at the central portion of the frame will increase the stability of the aero-l plane. and the rotation of the lifting pro- K peller will resist a tendency to tilt and such propeller maybe rotated slowly while the driving propeller is operated at a high speed. ,Also 'the driving propellerma. e rotated at a slow speed while the lifsting propeller is driven at sulicient speed to i maintain theV aeroplane atthe d esired elevation, the driving propeller serving to maintain vthe proper position of the aeroplane. In this manner the aeroplane ma'y be maintained at an elevation over any desired point in practically a stationary position so that when it is employed for war purposes bombs and other missiles may be dropped with accuracy and arms may also be discharged with accuracy. Also the position of the front and rear engines will enable gasolene tanks 21 and 22 to be Ilocated at opposite sides of the center of the aeroplane so as to counter-balance each other.v

The base portion of the frame has a forwardly tapered front portion or section 23 extending in advance of the transverse portion and preferably carrying the seat 24 for the accommodation of the p1lot andthe controlling mechanism, not shown.

What is claimed is An aeroplane including a supporting frame having a forwardly tapered front portion and provided with a substantially vertical portion extendingupwardly in rear of the said front portion, said frame bein also provided. with a rearwardly tapete rear portion extending from the said upwardly extending portion at a point above the front portion of the frame, separate front and rear engines mounted in the upper portion of the said upwardly extending portion ofthe supporting frame, a front propeller shaft depending from the frontengme 'and connected therewithv and pro- `vided with an approximately horizontal propeller set at a slight angle or inclination to lift the aeroplane and maintain the same in an elevated position, and a horizontal propeller shaft extending rearwardly from the'izear engine and having a vertical propellerf located back of the upwardly mg portion of the frame. n testimony whereof -I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFREDO L. ROMERO.

extend- Witnesses:

M. L. FABLANQ, F. B. HoUGg. 

